'Lifelong fans are created in the stands': Affordability for families key to Riders' future

My dad took me to my very first NHL game New York Islanders versus Edmonton Oilers in 1991, when I was six years old.

As he sat beside me in what was then known as the Northlands Coliseum, patiently explaining the game of hockey, I was positive I was sitting next to the smartest man on the planet. We shared popcorn and a pop. He bought me a mini stick that I still cherish to this day.

That night sparked a love for the game of hockey that I have never been able to shake. I had watched games on TV, but sitting in the crowd seeing it live with my dad was incomparable to anything else.

He passed away two years later. That will forever be my favourite memory with him.

Every kid deserves to have a memory like that.

A lifetime bleeding green

I did not grow up in Saskatchewan, but if you ask anybody from my generation or the generation before who did, they will have similar stories from Saskatchewan Roughrider games as a kid. The ones that have the greatest stories, from Taylor Field 30 years ago, are the biggest fans I know today.

These are the people that sit through thunderstorm delays and offensive wind chills. They drive for hours each direction for a game. They wait for the schedule to come out to plan their summer holidays. They follow the team across the country. When they can't, they listen intently from the field in their tractors or combines, or stream it online from international time zones.

They still talk about "The Kick" like it was yesterday. They sat in complete disbelief at Calgary's McMahon Stadium in 2009, refusing to believe it was real. They partied their way down Albert Street in Regina in 2013, hugging complete strangers for hours.

They celebrate the highs because they know the lows all too well. They remain steadfast and loyal because they have never known a life without loving this team. For many, football was their first love. They have bled green since their childhood.

The Riders appear to have it all: a world-class stadium, the most unwavering fan base in the league and a team they can be proud of both on the field and in our community.

But if you have looked closely at the stands at Mosaic Stadium the past few seasons, the home crowd has been missing one key pillar: the next generation of fans.

The rising price of fandom

Last season, the Riders were the only team in the CFL that didn't offer a family section or an affordable family pricing promotion for single games, aside from a small discount on youth tickets in limited sections. We had a very popular and well-priced "Family Fun Zone" at Taylor Field that was somehow lost in the transition between stadiums.

The average price in 2019 for a family of four to attend a game was more than $200, including $64 in stadium and ticketing fees. Not included in that price? The inevitable $9 popcorn, $30 if you require parking and the highest-priced hotdogs in the CFL.

In the age of advanced technology and high definition TV's, it was just getting too hard to justify.

The reality is that if parents are not taking their children now, those children are much less likely to attend games 10 or 15 years down the road.Lifelong fans are created in the stands.

It seemed like Saskatchewan's deep-rooted history of raising our youth amonga sea of green was slipping away from us. We were not about to just sit back and let it happen.

In 2019, the Riders sold out one regular-season home game the entire season, the Labour Day Classic. While Saskatchewan was still able to boast the highest attendance in the league and that looks impressive on paper locally we know that when there are consistently empty seats at Mosaic Stadium, it's safe to say that something isn't right.

The fans were pushing back. It did not go unnoticed.

New family deal a big step in right direction

The Roughriders are making some impressive changes for the 2020 season.

They will be reducing the cost of 3,000 seats in the stadium. They have designated several sections in the 500 level as "family zones" and are offering family season ticket packages and single-game family packages for $99 per game for a family of 4 including stadium fees.That's about half the cost of last year. They will also offer individual youth tickets for as low as $26.50.

The family package isn't perfect (concession items for the kids would add some serious value), but this new price point is a giant leap in the right direction. I really hope families take advantage of it.

The next generation deserves to experience the magic of a game under the Friday night lights. They should see how Mosaic Stadium feels like you're inside a snow globe when there is a light snowfall. When they grow up they should be able to tell their children the incredible stories of Cody Fajardo and Shaq Evans and how they can't believe they were there to see it.

Now more than ever, kids need to know the comfort of sitting next to their parents or grandparents at a game, knowing that for the next few hours, they have absolutely nothing to worry about. There is a good chance that one day those moments will become their favourite memories.

Saskatchewan has grown up in the stands cheering on the Riders First Taylor Field, then Mosaic Stadium. Our stadium has changed, but this tradition never should.

This column is part of CBC'sOpinionsection. For more information about this section, please read thiseditor's blogand ourFAQ.

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